Flight
by Urbanistics
Summary: For as long as anyone can remember, gryphons and their riders have been joined together, the missing puzzle pieces to each other's souls. But then a war arises, and the battle for Phaen begins.
1. Chapter 1 Missing Half

Great castle walls stretched before me, guilt and expensively adorned. I swallowed nervously, slightly daunted. Sure, I was excited, but I was afraid of screwing up, even though my companions said there was _no_ way I could make a mistake. But, knowing me, there was always room for error. It would be just like to me to make a mistake on the most important day of my life.

The palace inside was beautiful. Tastefully designed with the perfect decorations, I felt as if I had just stepped into a magazine. I felt slightly winded standing in one of the hallways, awed by the place… surely I wasn't supposed to be here? But a glance at the map in my hands - my _shaking _hands - told me differently. And supposedly I was supposed to go through the door right in front of me.

This one was not as grand as the main entrance. It was a basic cream color, with a small golden doorknob. I barely had to turn the knob before it swung slowly open, revealing another room. I stepped inside, stumbling on the doorframe.

Then I was certain I was in the wrong place.

The floor below my feet was just an ornamental rug lying atop a basic hardwood floor, polished to the extremes. The wall's were a blinding red, slightly clashing with the floor and rug. Mismatched chairs accompanied the floor, all painted black. But what caught my attention immediately was the door along the northern wall.

It was a huge slab of wood - possibly pine? - in a circular shape, and I could feel the importance of it. Large, hand carved creatures danced along its frame, and something primal, I didn't know what, caused my hand to raise and touch the majestic creatures.

When I did, though, I didn't expect the jolt of electricity that networked up my arm in a wave of tingles, that caused me to fall right onto the ground onto my butt. It didn't hurt, but I could still feel its aftershock…

"Oh, dearie me! Hello! Are you alright there, darlin'?"

I scrambled to my feet, smoothing my hair. A squat, grandmotherly woman stood before me, her hair just a frizzy cloud of white sprouting up from her skin. What she was wearing made me feel underdressed: an Indian style dress completed with thousands of shimmering beads and threads. She wore silk slipper-flats on her feet, paired with at least four bangles around her ankle.

"Y-yes," I stammered, my teeth drilling into my lip. "Is this the…"The woman seized my hand and pumped it at what seemed like a thousand miles per hour, a toothy smile spreading across her face. "Oh hi dearie! My name is Violet. You must be Aravelle! Oh, my my my, come to get yourself a gryphon I suppose?"

I nodded, fingering a lock of caramel colored hair and tucking it behind my ear. Violet let go of my hand and sighed contentedly, looking me over. "Well," she said in a sing-song voice, "the gryphon's are this way." She spun on her heel and opened the door, fumbling with the large lock for a second. Once we were through, I gasped at the sight before me.

A huge barn-resembling area stretched in front of me, stall upon stall of hatchlings staring out at me with large, doe-like eyes. They chirped and whistled, nudging my hand with their beaks as I walked by. I felt a pang of worry, though. How was I supposed to know which one I was supposed to pick?

Violet stood at my side, humming a cheery tune as she tapped her foot on the ground. She seemed to notice my worry though, and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, honey, you'll know when you see him - or her. There'll just be sort of a… connection."

I nodded, flicking my eyes around. My heart was fluttering in my chest, causing my hands to sweat. I rubbed them against my pants, about to give up when I saw a gryphon standing in a stall at the very back, his head slumping against the stall door, as if this was all a routine. "Who's that?" I asked, staring, possibly quite rudely.

Violet's mood instantly shifted. She laid her hand on my shoulder, frowning. "That's Ghember. He's what we call Soulless. It's been sixteen years and he ain't never had a shot of gettin' a partner."

At his name, the gryphon swung his enormous head toward me, his gaze colliding with mine. I felt suddenly whole, and warm, like I had never seen the sun before. His eyes, liquid amber, the exact shade as mine, suddenly alighted, like he was feeling the same thing.

"He is _not _soulless," I said, almost rudely, and Violet's hand fell from my shoulder.

"Well, my stars," she whispered under her breath, following me as I marched down to Ghember's stall. Violet slid the lock, excitement nearly vibrating out of her toes. Ghember strode majestically toward me, stopping when he was only a foot from my face. I stroked his silky cheek feathers, and he pressed his enormous face into my hand.

_Thank you, _a voice rumbled in my mind, and I didn't have to guess that it was him. I smiled fully, staring at his face.

"You're welcome."


	2. Chapter 2 New Recruit

I learned a lot about gryphons in the next few months. It was a totally new concept, but I could feel, in my soul, my heart, and in every single cell in my body, that this is what I was born to do.

I learned that gryphons always agreed with you (Whether it was the whole 'soul mates' thing or something else, I couldn't tell), even if you were wrong. They could also speak to you, but not as if you would think. They communicated to us through their minds, and only their riders can understand them, and other gryphons, too, if the thought was directed toward them. This was quite inconvenient at first, because Ghember could hear my every thought as if it was his own. We, the riders, can also tell their moods, as it deeply reflects off our own. Gryphons also have two names, a call name and a battle name, along with a symbol that they always wore as a natural tattoo anywhere on their body (Ghember's was on his neck).

I also learned quite I bit about myself, as well. I discovered the joy of flight, the touch of feathers to skin, and the pure adrenaline as you felt the wind claw through your hair, cleansing your soul of every impurity. When I flew with Ghember, which is quite scary, the first time, every worry remained rooted to the ground. But me? I could _soar._

Every step I took, Ghember was close behind. Even though we would always be able to hear each other, it was literally painful to leave a mile radius of each other. And when they did, you could feel the emptiness, the incompleteness, of having just your half of your soul.

In public, whenever I walked around, I couldn't take a step without getting respectful glances, even sometimes an awed stare, which was sometimes quite embarrassing. I liked to pretend that it was Ghember's size that attracted these. But sometimes, people glared at me with reproachful glances, even ones of pure fury. I didn't know what I had done to earn those.

When I had become a rider, I automatically progressed to a higher rank in society. Now people addressed me ass "Miss" Stryker or "ma'am," even sometimes "m'lady." It irked me. How was I different from any other Phaenian? I only had a fantastical companion that followed me every where I went. The only people who treated me the same were Megan and Savannah, my comrades in the air force.

I remembered their reaction when I brought Ghember home. They were a bit staggered by his size, as people usually were, but other than that, they were completely casual. I was grateful for them.

_Ara. _Ghember's voice sounded in my head.

"Yes, Ghember?" I asked. He hadn't spoken in a day or two.

_I was… wondering what made you different from everyone else. Why nobody found me for sixteen years instead of just two weeks._

"Oh," I said quietly, caught offhand. I hadn't thought about that in a while, for it seemed our relationship was natural, like we belonged together.

_I have a theory, _he said, his voice mild, but also severe.

"Shoot," I said, curious now.

_Well, you know that gryphons "choose" their rider by what type of soul they have, for we are indeed the other half of our riders, the missing puzzle piece. Maybe… Maybe you _are _my other half. Maybe our souls are unique. _I felt his massive shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. _Just a theory, _he added, to said nonchalant.

"Interesting theory, maybe you're right. I haven't felt this complete in my entire life." I sighed contentedly. Completeness was a nice feeling. "Maybe I would have found you earlier if I had gone as a kid, like I was supposed to." I smiled. "But either way, I'm glad I found you." I stroked his ears, and he rumbled underneath me in a loud purr.

_As am I, _he said quietly, slightly embarrassed to show his feelings.

For the rest of the flight, Ghember remained silent. I could only guess that he was thinking of this odd conundrum.

-------------------------

The twilight's darkness slipped over the steadily darkening horizon like a thick veil. There was no moonlight filtering through the columns of trees tonight, but we worked this to our advantage. We were easily cloaked in the murky shadows.

Adrenaline pumped through our veins. This was our first meeting in over a month. I crept through the forest, ears alert. My eyes struggled to process images through the choking darkness, yet somehow I found my way through.

There was a faint crackling of the underbrush, a few paces behind me. Silently, I crept behind the trunk of the nearest tree, fingering the blade in my pocket. A large, muscled silhouette moved into view, its form dense and dark. The next instant, I had their arms restrained behind their backs, my knife at its throat.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice low.

"Jesus, Eli! It's me, for chrissakes!"

Immediately, I recognized the voice. I backed away, pocketing my knife. "Sorry, James. But, hell, you should know better than to sneak up on me like that," I reprimanded.

James snorted. "Sneaking. Right." He rubbed his neck, wincing slightly. There was a - luckily - shallow cut, reminiscent of my almost-attack.

"Sorry about that."

James only grunted. "We better get going. The boss ain't going to be in a good mood if we're late."I nodded. Ara was not one to easily forgive one's faults, or even let them go easily. Her tongue was easily as sharp as her blades.

"Welcome, Eli, James. How nice of you to join us." A silky voice hissed from the shadows of a boulder.

"Sorry," we mumbled in unison, glancing slightly at each other.

"Now, before we begi- James, what happened to your neck?" Ara cut short, eying the bloody cut.

"I - I hit a branch," James said quickly, shooting me an annoyed glare. I only shrugged, looking the other direction.

Ara seemed appeased, but not entirely convinced. Sweeping her gaze over to the group nestled at her feet, she began her speech again.

"Tonight, we have gathered as rebels against society. Those gryphon riders are growing in number, and with that, power. Do we _want _society to be ruled by those filth?" Ara paused, grinning darkly at the angered shouts arising from the group.

"Peace!" She shouted, raising her hands, though she was obviously pleased with their reaction. "We must stop them. I have started to gather troops who agree, but our numbers are still low. Anyone who you can convince to join our cause would be useful." Ara's voice was thoughtful. "We will disband now, but go with caution, my brothers and sisters." And with that, Ara leaped down from the boulder, melting into the shadows. The rest of the group paused for a moment before turning and going their separate ways.

-------------------------

The Iridesian market bustled with color and activity. Buyers bartered for lower prices, vendors advertised their merchandise… there was just as much noise as color.

However, it wasn't the fruits and vegetables that brought me here today. It was a request from Ara that I check out a young girl who was supposedly near here. Apparently, she would be a valuable asset to our cause. She was described with white-blonde hair and striking violet eyes (and, according to James, the most gorgeous face in mankind).

I stood in the shaded shelter of the corner of a building, watching the streams of people milling through the streets, like coagulated blood.

"Looking for someone?"

I turned, caught by surprise. Nobody could sneak up on me… perhaps I had been to intent on the crowd.

A tall, wiry girl stood before me, looking about seventeen or eighteen. If her voice had been feminine, her appearance was doubly so. Her hair was slightly curly, almost blending in with her ivory-colored skin. Threads of gold wove through her hair, glistening in the early morning sunlight. Her skin was twice as pale as her hair, snowy and silky looking. Her face was heart shaped, an expression of curiosity plastered onto it, one eyebrow cocked. Her eyes were surprisingly a vivid violet, making me feel as if I had to look away. I blinked, staggered for a moment, but quickly composed myself.

"Um… yes, actually. You," I said, waving my hand at her. Her next movement was so fast, I had no time to react.

She threw herself at me, smacking a well-aimed fist at my jaw. She then gnashed her knee into my gut, forcing the breath out of me. Seeing an opportunity, she kicked my legs out, causing me to collapse on the ground. A foot was on its way to my side, but I quickly rolled, causing her foot to hang it mid-air for a split second. I seized my chance, shoving her other leg in the opposite direction. She let out a startled scream and fell on her back, her teeth splitting into her lip. A trickle of blood dribbled down her chin, splattering in sloppy droplets on the ground. I grabbed her shoulder, roughly picking her off the ground. I crossed her arm behind her back with one hand, the other tightly clasped around her neck.

"Alright!" She spat, and I backed off, cautious. She stood a mere foot away from me, her blood smeared across her cheek. She flipped backward, her foot contracting with my nose with a painful crunch. I stumbled backward, cradling my nose with both hands. I heard a clicking noise, and I glanced over to see the girl holding a pistol to my temple.

"Who are you?" she growled, her voice no longer friendly.

"Eli Collins," I sputtered, turning my head. Her hand clawed around my face, turning it back toward her.

"What do you want with me?" She said, inching forward, eyes malicious. "Tell the truth or I swear to _god _I will shoot."

"I was sent by a friend," I explained quickly, "She wants to meet you. She thinks you would benefit her and her…. Cause."

She pressed the gun harder against my head. "Benefit how?"

I winced, closing my eyes. "Spying undercover and fighting and stuff like that."

She lowered her weapon slightly, but her voice was still acidic. "Does the so-called friend pay well?"

I nodded feverously, and she lowered her weapon, sliding it back into her pocket. I exhaled loudly, moving my hands back to my nose. "Geez," I whispered.

"Sorry. I thought you might be the police. They've been after me for two years now." She smiled, patting the gun.

I frowned slightly. "What'd you do?"She shrugged. "Shot a few people, took their money and ran.""Are you… an assasin?"

She smiled widely, patting my cheek. "I work for no one but myself. Now, your friend?"


End file.
